


Some Kind of Beautiful

by hitchcock_winter



Category: Emergency! (TV 1972)
Genre: AO3 exclusive, Domestic Fluff, Ficlet Collection, First Time, Fluff, Johnny and Roy in love, M/M, Slash, Work/Life Balance, little moments, next to no plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27517351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hitchcock_winter/pseuds/hitchcock_winter
Summary: Roy’ll dance with the fire, he’ll trip over the twisted metal, he’ll dive into the deep as long as Johnny’s there with him. This is going to be an ongoing series for little standalone moments of Johnny/Roy that aren't big enough to have their own story. Up next: "Orange Juice," The morning after Roy stays for the first time.
Relationships: Roy DeSoto/Johnny Gage
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20





	1. The Next Shift

**Author's Note:**

> This doesn't necessarily follow any of my other stories, though headcanon an order all you'd like. You're also welcome to take liberties with what the next shift is after, heh.
> 
> I normally don't post or read anything under 1,000 but my social life is RIPing thanks to #COVIDlife and I can't get my mind off of these two. I figured collecting these "moments" in an ongoing fic made the most sense word count-wise. I'll update tags, warnings and summary as required.
> 
> What you can expect: short standalone fics, next-to-no plot, cuteness, maybe some angst eventually, sometimes well-written, sometimes not, no order to the chapters. Unbetaed.

Roy is standing at his locker tucking in his uniform when he hears the cheerful whistle of his partner come up from behind him. It’s an innocent-enough sound, one he’s heard hundreds of times, an underscore of daily life at the station but Roy’s alight with nerves and a thrill like a rising river and this might be the first time it sends a shock right through him, makes him jump.

He’s almost done getting dressed but he pauses as Johnny opens his locker door. Pauses and takes a deep breath, and tries to make the task last forever.

“Mornin’ Roy,” Johnny says. It’s quiet. It’s happy. If it was the last sound Roy ever heard, that’d be okay with him.

Roy throws his partner a sidelong glance and Johnny is grinning into his locker, grinning boyishly and with dimples and like he stole the Californian sun and swallowed it and can’t keep it down, and goddamn it if Roy can’t help but grin, too. “Mornin’.”

They don’t say anything else but they keep brushing up against each other, gentle-like, full of intention, and the locker room is all bright colours, all glowing with rich reds and oranges and greens like its an east coast autumn but only they can see it, only they can touch it.

Roll call is much the same. Johnny is closer to Roy than he usually is, they’re usually close enough to skim and bump and elbow but this time, this time Roy can feel the heat of him, his whole arm pressed up against him like that. He thinks Cap doesn’t notice. He’s not sure that he cares if he does.

They’re assigned to do the bay and the dorm together and Roy fights hard to keep the satisfaction off his face. It wasn’t normally this hard to keep his emotions in check but goddamn if he couldn’t feel his absolute nut of a pretty, perfect partner just vibrating with energy, just bursting with that warm summer sun. And it’s infectious. John Gage’s mood is all over Roy like the midnight-marked soot of a five-alarm fire and he never, ever wants to wash it off.

Coffee and donuts with the fellas is some kind of similar, again, except they’re sitting at the table. Johnny’s knee is splayed so that he’s once again right up against Roy, all hard edges and warmth against Roy’s thigh and there’s something daring about it, hidden under the surface of wood, invisible just inches beneath hands grasping blue mugs of coffee.

They’re trying to participate in the conversation but Roy’s struggling to pay attention, to care about bowling and house repairs and pretty little dates with blonde hair and blue eyes.

There was only one pair of eyes that he cared about, and they were liquid, they were caramel, they were lit kindling under long pretty lashes and dear lord they were _his_. 

Eventually they make their way to the dorms and silently start tearing down the beds, across the room from each other, stealing glances and trying not to smile, this is work, this is serious, this is absolute fucking bliss for both of them and Chet rolls in. 

He pauses at the door, watching them for a moment. “What’s with you guys? You fighting or something?”

Johnny turns to him and grins in that light-up-his-whole-face way. “Yup. Hate his guts.”

Chet looks back and forth between them, waiting for more and doesn’t get it as they continue to work in silence with barely-disguised delight. He shakes his head and leaves, muttering about them driving him to neurosis.

The klaxons sound and they finally get their first call of the day, and Roy immediately can’t remember what type of call it is. He lets Johnny out of the dorm first, and Johnny’s slender fingers trail against the small of Roy’s back as he slides by, all graceful and lithe and molten. Roy puffs out a helpless breath and follows his partner to the squad.

They climb into their home on wheels and Cap hands the call slip to Roy, who hands it to Johnny and this might be the first time he’s looked at Johnny all day, really looked at him straight on, and Roy tries his best to stop a breakneck, delirious smile from taking over. And Johnny smiles right back, kind of bashfully, kind of letting that sun escape out of his damned pretty eyes.

Roy turns to the front of the cab and blinks away the afterglow of staring at that blinding light, that some kind of beautiful partner of his. He heaves a deep breath and adjusts his helmet as the bay doors open, and their day actually starts, for real, this is what they’re here for and he’ll dance with the fire, he’ll trip over the twisted metal, he’ll dive into the deep as long as Johnny’s there with him.

Roy pulls onto the streets of Carson and says, “Boy are we in trouble.”

Johnny laughs a pure, happy laugh that Roy’s not sure he’s heard before and lets his hand fall from the back of the seat onto Roy’s shoulder. “Yup.” 


	2. Squad 51, Cancelled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny and Roy, in the squad, on the way back to the station after a cancelled call.

_“Squad 51, cancelled.”_

Roy frowned at the squad’s radio, slightly disappointed. The description of the run had been both confusing and entertaining: _Possible octopus attack. Approach from south entrance. Informant advises caution from above_.

“Squad 51,” Johnny acknowledged.

“They must have captured it,” Roy mused as he pulled off his helmet. “Or maybe Animal Control is on it.”

“Mm-hmm,” was all Johnny said, fixing his own helmet back on its hook.

Roy pulled over and waited until it was safe before flipping a u-turn to head back toward the station. 

They drove quietly for a moment before Roy threw his abnormally silent partner a curious glance. Johnny didn’t seem upset, which was always what Roy worried about when it came to a silent John Gage. He seemed distracted, maybe. No, that wasn’t it. He looked thoughtful.

In fact, he was even chewing on his pen.

“One of these days you’re gonna chew right through that thing,” Roy said. 

Johnny looked surprised, studying the green plastic ballpoint in his hand as if he hadn’t noticed he was doing it. He smiled. “Well it’s not lunchtime yet. What else am I gonna put in my mouth?” He shot Roy a sly look.

“Jeezus Johnny,” Roy sputtered, but couldn’t help the grin that followed.

Johnny laughed, a joyful laugh that lit through Roy’s chest. Johnny tucked his pen back into his breast pocket.

They were quiet again and Roy found his mind wandering back to the rescue that they’d never get the answers to.

“You think octopuses can just… walk around? Outside of the water? Maybe we should ask Cap,” Roy smiled, envisioning their station leader squirming at the idea.

He was stolen from his thoughts when Johnny suddenly slid across the seat and pressed right up against him. 

Startled, Roy looked over, noticing Johnny’s face was just inches from his own. 

Turning back and trying to focus on driving, he could feel a blush travel up his neck and hit his face full force.

Johnny was smiling, all dimply and mischievous and eyes shining. “Hi,” he said.

“Johnny?” Roy asked, his heart beating way too quickly for not being on a rescue with a marine animal on the loose. 

“Mm-hmm?” Johnny breathed, and Roy could feel the heat of his lean body both where they were touching and where they weren’t.

It was early enough in the day to still be able to smell Johnny’s aftershave, and that scent was so different than Roy’s own preference; it was more subdued, with hints of pepper and fruit and god Roy loved that smell, wanted to sink his teeth into Johnny like he could taste it. In Roy’s mind, he could.

They were nearing the station. 

“Johnny,” Roy said again, but this time it was a statement, a warning.

“I know, I know,” Johnny slid back to where he was supposed to be, at the passenger-side door, an entire body’s-worth of space between them. Even though they never sat that far away, even before.

“What were you doing, anyway?” Roy asked curiously, trying to project that he wasn’t upset.

Johnny didn’t look at him, but his mouth turned up in a soft, shy smile. “Just wanted to see what it felt like.” 

Roy’s insides warmed at the answer, but something else flickered through him. Something he’d noticed in these past few months with Johnny.

There was a pattern. Johnny leaning against him in the locker room. Johnny settling his kitchen chair so close they touched at his apartment. Johnny always with a hand or limb or anything against Roy when they spent their nights together.

It was like… Johnny needed to be near to Roy, to feel him. Given their newfound closeness, it made sense but… it felt like there was something more to it.

In fact, Roy’d realized Johnny had always been like that. Before, he had generalized the behaviour, chalked it up to one of Johnny’s eccentricities. Johnny was always poking, patting, touching. For attention, for reassurance, sometimes for nothing at all. They’d been working together for so long Roy didn’t even notice it anymore.

Maybe there was something more to it.

Maybe he’d get the chance to find out. 

Roy slowed the squad a little, just enough to go unnoticed, just enough to delay their return by any sort of minutes or seconds.

He dropped his right hand from the steering wheel and slid it across the seat to Johnny’s. Johnny looked over at him in surprise as Roy entwined their fingers together, giving him a squeeze.

He was about to turn onto East 223rd, home to the station, when he pulled their hands to his mouth and gave Johnny a quick kiss before letting him go.

If Johnny’s stunned, red, elatedly-glowing face was the last thing Roy ever saw, he’d die an incredibly happy man. 


	3. Orange Juice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after Roy stays for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ended up being longer than a ficlet, but it got away from me. And I said all of these were going to be unbetaed but because this one was so different for me (Johnny POV whaaaat) Guardy was kind enough, yet again, to review. Thank you!

Johnny woke slowly, with the subtle warmth of bliss filling his chest that he couldn’t initially place. The early-morning light filtering into his bedroom was subdued, dampened by clouds, at odds with how content he was feeling.

The weight of an arm around his stomach swept away the last of the cobwebs and brought Johnny’s new reality back into prismatic clarity.

Roy had spent the night.

A warm sensation flared through him as he thought about the body pressed up against him, and he struggled to lay still, not wanting to wake his partner but goddamn it was tough to not move when he had all of this electric energy just buzzing inside. 

He shifted a little. Then he shifted a little more.

Roy groaned into his neck and moved slightly.

Johnny froze stiff, waiting to see if he’d woken Roy before relaxing with a sigh. 

It had been a while since anyone had stayed the night. Even so, this was different. It was the first time it was someone he… _cared_ about. He thought he’d had feelings for some people before, but not like this. Not at all like this. 

Plus, the overnight stay marked something kind of special between him and Roy, and the thought of it had Johnny fidgeting with elation.

“Mmm.” Roy mumbled from behind him.

Oops. “You awake?” Johnny whispered.

“Mmno.”

Johnny smiled. And shifted.

Roy tightened his arm around him. “How do you feel today?” He murmured sleepily.

Johnny nestled a bit into the grip. “I’m fine. This is just fine. Are you fine?”

Johnny could feel Roy breathe a silent laugh into his neck. “No, I mean… physically.”

Oh.

Johnny clumsily turned beneath Roy’s arm so that he was facing Roy, feeling like this was something that deserved all his attention, knowing that tone of Roy’s voice and that he would worry until Johnny could convince him not to. Roy regarded him with half-lidded eyes, face scrunched against the light in the room. 

Johnny brought a hand up to Roy’s face, moving his thumb gently along his skin. “I’m good, Roy,” he said with a smile. “I feel real good.”

He _was_ sore, just a little, but in a way that only lingered and reminded him of what they did and sent tingling through his stomach and a blush to his face.

Roy searched his eyes for a moment before his face softened with relief and he closed his eyes against Johnny’s hand. “Good. I’m glad.”

Johnny dropped his arm and closed his eyes too, trying to let Roy’s warmth lull him back to sleep. He wasn’t quite comfortable in this spot though, so he pulled his arm out from underneath him. Then he carefully struggled to tuck it back under again.

“Mmmm c’mere,” Roy growled, rolling onto his back and pulling Johnny into him.

Johnny laughed and settled on Roy’s chest. Roy absently stroked his fingers through Johnny’s hair and the movement stilled him, made him melt. He listened as Roy’s breath began to level off once more, his hand stopping.

He wondered what to do about breakfast. He hadn’t anticipated having company, so his fridge was in its usual state: stale-smelling and empty with a side of scary takeout leftovers.

He could probably run down to the corner store and pick up some bacon and eggs and fruit. Maybe he should do that while Roy slept. That way, he wouldn’t –

“Go back to sleeeep,” Roy grumbled.

Oh. He was moving around again. Shoot. “I’m tryin’... but I’m awake,” he whispered back.

Roy just grunted.

“I could maybe get up and shower and let you be?” Johnny suggested quietly.

There was no answer.

“I was thinkin’ about breakfast, and I thought maybe –”

Johnny’s sentence was cut short as he found himself moved off the edge of the bed and ungraciously onto the carpeted floor.

Johnny sat stunned only for a moment, processing what had happened before he picked himself up. “Sure, fine, just kick me outta my own bed,” he muttered.

Roy’s eyes popped open, as if to check and make sure Johnny wasn’t actually sore at him. Johnny shot him a grin and watched as Roy smiled back, those blue eyes growing heavy and closing again.

Johnny moved around the room as quietly as he could, quickly gathering some clothes before slipping out into the hallway and closing the door.

He considered taking a shower, but the fact that he had an embarrassingly bare fridge was wriggling at him, making him a bit anxious so he decided to get dressed and run to the store first.

* * *

Johnny knew Roy liked orange juice. At least, he thought he knew Roy liked orange juice. Now that he was at the corner shop, staring at the options, he was second-guessing himself, and then getting irritated at himself for second-guessing. He’d been close friends with Roy for years, which equated to many, many breakfasts and other meals both at work and after and how did he not know this already?

After wavering for several minutes he made a decision, paid at the cash and started back toward his apartment. His mind wandered to the night before as he carried the paper bag down the sidewalk.

He’d never admit it out loud, but he was incredibly thankful Roy’d decided to stay. Not just because it meant spending the night with him, but… he was feeling pretty self-conscious after what they’d done. If Roy’d left right after, he’d probably struggle to sleep, wonder if Roy thought of him differently, wonder if he’d done everything right.

If he was being honest with himself he’d know those thoughts were still squirming at the back of his mind, but at least they were placated for now. He had breakfast to make.

“Good morning, Johnny.”

Johnny looked up in surprise to see his neighbour Sarah coming down the sidewalk. 

“Oh, hey Sarah.” Johnny flashed her a smile and tried not to react to her surprised look as he breezed by without any further conversation. She was out walking her dog, a surprisingly docile pomeranian, and he usually accosted her when he saw her out and about. He’d been trying to get a date out of her since she moved in six months prior. She always turned him down, of course, but it didn’t prevent him from executing a little friendly flirting. 

Sarah had been the last thing on his mind for a few weeks. He didn’t know exactly what this thing was between him and Roy, but he did know… he wasn’t in the mood to think about anyone else right now.

Johnny let himself back into his apartment as quietly as he could manage and set the bag down on the kitchen island. He startled when Roy entered from the hallway, hair wet and already dressed in the same clothes he’d been wearing the night before – jeans and a blue flannel shirt that Johnny’d always thought brought out the colour in his eyes. Maybe he should finally tell him that. 

“I thought you were gonna sleep for a while yet,” Johnny checked his watch. It was only almost nine and they were both prone to sleep in on their days off to catch up from work.

Roy came around him and gave him a kiss on the temple. “I know. For some reason, I woke up earlier than usual,” he grinned, eyes smiling. 

Johnny laughed. “Sorry.”

“It’s not the worst way to wake up,” Roy said softly. Then as if to change the subject, he pulled the paper bag of groceries toward him. “What’d you get?”

“Just some things for breakfast.”

Roy started to unpack it onto the kitchen island. “Three kinds of juice?” He asked with a laugh. “You thirsty?”

Johnny ran a hand through his hair and gave him a sheepish grin. “No, I mean, yeah, I mean… I thought I remembered you liked orange, and then I wasn’t sure, and I thought maybe I’d seen apple juice in your fridge before, but I couldn’t really remember and I just – just wanted to make sure you had somethin’ you liked.”

Roy set the grapefruit juice carton down and regarded Johnny for a moment before coming around behind him. He slipped his arms around Johnny’s waist and set his chin on Johnny’s shoulder, throwing a whole host of butterflies into Johnny’s stomach. 

“Orange is great, Johnny.” He said, his low voice quiet in Johnny’s ear. “Actually, any of these are fine. Thank you.” Roy kissed the side of his neck. 

They stood that way for a moment, and Johnny closed his eyes and leaned back into Roy, and he thought maybe he could stand this way forever. 

Roy pulled away first, slowly, with his touch lingering. “I thought you were going to shower.”

“I was, but then I thought, I mean, I wanted to make sure we had some food first.”

Roy smiled. “How about you shower now and I can get started?”

“But I was gonna –”

Roy gave him a gentle push toward the hall. “Go.”

Johnny swallowed and nodded, something about that tone of his partner’s had him listening. 

He stripped, started the water and climbed into the tub, pleasantly noting that it was still a little bit steamy from Roy’s shower. Something about that made him feel good. 

Normally he liked to linger in the shower but he wanted to get it over with as fast as possible, so he had more time with Roy. He knew that once they were done with breakfast, Roy’d probably have to go home and get back to his family.

Back to his _real_ life, Johnny’s inner voice added.

Johnny swallowed and rushed through cleaning, rushed away from those thoughts.

By the time he’d toweled off and dressed, Roy had finished cooking the bacon and was working on the eggs. 

“Smells good,” Johnny said, moving by Roy and running his hand along the small of his partner’s back as he did so. Roy seemed to like it when he did that.

It distracted Roy just enough that Johnny was able to snatch a piece of bacon and stuff it into his mouth before Roy could slap him with the spatula. Johnny laughed and stepped away, hands up as Roy waved the utensil at him. 

He moved all the way around the other side of the island to stay out of reach, gathering and setting plates, cutlery and glasses on the island – he didn’t have a table, just a couple of bar stools. He eyed the juice that was taking up space and went to put some of it away into the fridge.

“Orange?” He glanced over at Roy, just wanting to be sure.

Roy smiled at him, a big smile, one that lit up his eyes and made Johnny feel weak. “Orange.”

Yup. Orange juice sounded pretty good to him too.


End file.
